1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a halftone dot image display unit in which halftone dot image data is created from multi-tone level image data, so that a halftone dot image represented by the created halftone dot image data is displayed, and a halftone dot image display program storage medium storing a halftone dot image display program which causes a computer to operate as such a halftone dot image display unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, according to a printing machine and some printer, a halftone image is outputted on a printing sheet in accordance with halftone dot image data representative of a halftone dot image.
With respect to a creation of the halftone dot image data, for example, pixel values of pixels of multi-tone level image data consisting of an assembly of pixels each having a pixel value according to gradation, wherein a halftone dot pattern (a threshold matrix) consisting of an arrangement of thresholds is superposed on the multi-tone level image data, are compared with the thresholds of the threshold matrix, and the pixel values of the pixels of the multi-tone level image data are converted into binaries, so that the halftone dot image data representative of a dot pattern of the halftone dots is created.
For example, to perform an image printing using a printing machine, prior to performing the printing, an image display unit such as a CRT display unit is used to display a halftone dot image similar to a printed image to be obtained by printing of the printing machine, and ways of occurrence of Rosette pattern, moirxc3xa9 pattern and dot gain of halftone dots are investigated so that finish of the printed image to be obtained by printing of the printing machine is predicted.
However, according to the above-mentioned halftone dot image display unit in which halftone dot image data is created from multi-tone level image data, so that a halftone dot image represented by the created halftone dot image data is displayed on a display screen of the image display unit, it takes a lot of time, in proportion to a size of the multi-tone level image to be based, from the issue of an instruction that the multi-tone level image is converted into the halftone dot image and then displayed, to the display of the halftone dot image on the display screen of the image display unit. As a result, it takes a lot of time up to the confirmation of halftone dot geometry and the like of the halftone dot image, and thus working efficiency is poor.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a halftone dot image display unit capable of displaying halftone dots in short time, and a halftone dot image display program storage medium storing a halftone dot image display program which causes a computer to operate as such a halftone dot image display unit.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a halftone dot image display unit comprising:
a multi-tone level image display section for displaying a multi-tone level image represented by multi-tone level image data consisting of an assembly of pixels each having a pixel value according to a gradation;
a position designation section for designating a desired position on the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section;
a data deriving section for deriving partial multi-tone level image data representative of the partial multi-tone level image within a peripheral area of the position designated by said position designation section, of the multi-tone level image, from the multi-tone level image data representative of the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section;
a partial halftone dot image data generation section causing the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section to be affected by a predetermined threshold matrix so as to generate partial halftone dot image data representative of the partial halftone dot image associated with the partial multi-tone level image; and
a partial halftone dot image display section for displaying a partial halftone dot image represented by the partial halftone dot image data generated by said partial halftone dot image data generation section.
According to the halftone dot image display unit of the present invention, a desired position on a multi-tone level image displayed on the display screen and a size of the peripheral area are designated, the partial halftone dot image data representative of the partial halftone dot image is generated from the partial multi-tone level image data representative of the partial multi-tone level image within the peripheral area of the designated position, and the partial halftone dot image represented by the partial halftone dot image data is displayed on the display screen. Thus, as compared with one in which halftone dot image data representative of the whole halftone dot image is generated from the multi-tone level image data representative of the whole multi-tone level image, and the whole halftone dot image represented by the halftone dot image data is displayed on the display screen of the image display unit, it is possible to implement that the partial halftone dot image of the periphery of the portion of the interest is displayed in short time.
Further, according to the halftone dot image display unit of the present invention, as a higher speed of display of the halftone dot image is implemented, a movement of the position to be designated on the multi-tone level image makes it possible to promptly display the partial halftone dot image in response to the moving operation of the position.
In the halftone dot image display unit according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that the halftone dot image display unit further comprises an area size designation section for designating a size of a peripheral area of the position designated by said position designation section, on the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section, in accordance with an operation, and
said data deriving section derives the partial multi-tone level image data representative of the partial multi-tone level image within the peripheral area of the position designated by said area size designation section, from the multi-tone level image data representative of the multi-tone level image.
According to the halftone dot image display unit having such an area size designation section, for example, in the event that processing in a short time is desired, it is possible to optionally determine a size of the area.
In the halftone dot image display unit according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises:
a resolution designation section for designating a resolution of the partial halftone dot image displayed by said partial halftone dot image display section in accordance with an operation; and
a resolution conversion section for applying a resolution conversion processing according to the resolution designated by said resolution designation section to the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section, and
said partial halftone dot image data generation section causes partial multi-tone level image data subjected to the resolution conversion processing by said resolution conversion section to be affected by a predetermined threshold matrix so as to generate partial halftone dot image data representative of the partial halftone dot image associated with the partial multi-tone level image represented by the partial multi-tone level image data.
According to the halftone dot image display unit having such resolution designation section and resolution conversion section as mentioned above, it is possible to optionally designate a desired resolution so as to display the partial halftone dot image according to the designated resolution.
Further, in the halftone dot image display unit of the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises:
a color conversion section for applying a color conversion processing to the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section, and
said partial halftone dot image data generation section causes partial multi-tone level image data subjected to both the color conversion processing by said color conversion section and the resolution conversion processing by said resolution conversion section to be affected by a predetermined threshold matrix so as to generate partial halftone dot image data representative of the partial halftone dot image associated with the partial multi-tone level image represented by the partial multi-tone level image data.
According to the halftone dot image display unit having such a color conversion section as mentioned above, it is possible to investigate details of halftone dots subjected to the color conversion processing.
Furthermore, in the halftone dot image display unit of the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises an information display section for displaying a pixel value of the position designated by said position designation section, of the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section, and a dot % value of a position corresponding to a position on the multi-tone level image designated by said position designation section, of the partial halftone dot image represented by the partial halftone dot image data generated by said partial halftone dot image data generation section.
Still further, in the halftone dot image display unit of the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises:
a color conversion section for applying a color conversion processing to the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section, and
said information display section displays, in addition to said pixel value and said dot % value, a pixel value of a position corresponding to a position on the multi-tone level image designated by said position designation section, of the partial multi-tone level image represented by the partial multi-tone level image data subjected to the color conversion processing.
According to the halftone dot image display unit having such an information display section as mentioned above, the pixel value and the dot % value are displayed on the display screen of the halftone dot image display unit. Thus, it is possible to immediately confirm the numerical data of the halftone dot of interest.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a halftone dot image display program storage medium storing a halftone dot image display program which causes a computer to operate as a halftone dot image display unit, said halftone dot image display unit comprising:
a multi-tone level image display section for displaying a multi-tone level image represented by multi-tone level image data consisting of an assembly of pixels each having a pixel value according to a gradation;
a position designation section for designating a desired position on the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section;
a data deriving section for deriving partial multi-tone level image data representative of the partial multi-tone level image within a peripheral area of the position designated by said position designation section, of the multi-tone level image, from the multi-tone level image data representative of the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section;
a partial halftone dot image data generation section causing the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section to be affected by a predetermined threshold matrix so as to generate partial halftone dot image data representative of the partial halftone dot image associated with the partial multi-tone level image; and
a partial halftone dot image display section for displaying a partial halftone dot image represented by the partial halftone dot image data generated by said partial halftone dot image data generation section.
In the halftone dot image display program storage medium according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that the halftone dot image display unit further comprises an area size designation section for designating a size of a peripheral area of the position designated by said position designation section, on the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section, in accordance with an operation, and
said data deriving section derives the partial multi-tone level image data representative of the partial multi-tone level image within the peripheral area of the position designated by said area size designation section, from the multi-tone level image data representative of the multi-tone level image.
In the halftone dot image display program storage medium according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises:
a resolution designation section for designating a resolution of the partial halftone dot image displayed by said partial halftone dot image display section in accordance with an operation; and
a resolution conversion section for applying a resolution conversion processing according to the resolution designated by said resolution designation section to the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section, and
said partial halftone dot image data generation section causes partial multi-tone level image data subjected to the resolution conversion processing by said resolution conversion section to be affected by a predetermined threshold matrix so as to generate partial halftone dot image data representative of the partial halftone dot image associated with the partial multi-tone level image represented by the partial multi-tone level image data.
Further, in the halftone dot image display program storage medium of the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises:
a color conversion section for applying a color conversion processing to the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section, and
said partial halftone dot image data generation section causes partial multi-tone level image data subjected to both the color conversion processing by said color conversion section and the resolution conversion processing by said resolution conversion section to be affected by a predetermined threshold matrix so as to generate partial halftone dot image data representative of the partial halftone dot image associated with the partial multi-tone level image represented by the partial multi-tone level image data.
Furthermore, in the halftone dot image display program storage medium of the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises an information display section for displaying a pixel value of the position designated by said position designation section, of the multi-tone level image displayed by said multi-tone level image display section, and a dot % value of a position corresponding to a position on the multi-tone level image designated by said position designation section, of the partial halftone dot image represented by the partial halftone dot image data generated by said partial halftone dot image data generation section.
Still further, in the halftone dot image display program storage medium of the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said halftone dot image display unit further comprises:
a color conversion section for applying a color conversion processing to the partial multi-tone level image data derived by said data deriving section, and
said information display section displays, in addition to said pixel value and said dot % value, a pixel value of a position corresponding to a position on the multi-tone level image designated by said position designation section, of the partial multi-tone level image represented by the partial multi-tone level image data subjected to the color conversion processing.